Data storage systems are arrays of storage drives (e.g., disk drives, solid state drives, and the like) and storage processors configured to store and provide access to large amounts of data. Data storage systems are often subject to sudden changes in demand for access to the data they store. For example, suppose that an online retailer maintains order and account information in a data storage system. Data access requests to the data storage system may spike in response to certain events, e.g., a launch of a new product. Such spikes may cause disk drives and storage processors to become overly burdened, which can lead to delays in servicing user requests or even to service outages.
Some data storage systems allow administrators to make adjustments to how storage and processing resources are distributed throughout the systems and/or allow administrators to add new hardware. When demand placed on data storage systems increases, administrators can adjust storage resources to accommodate the change in load.